7 Days Uganda Rwanda Gorilla Tour

Day 1: Arrival in Kigali, Rwanda – The Land of a Thousand Hills

Your journey begins in Kigali, Rwanda’s gentle and welcoming capital. As your plane descends over green rolling hills, there’s a sense that this place is different. Kigali is clean, quiet, and organized — but also deeply rich with history.

After a warm airport reception, you’re transferred to your luxury or boutique lodge. Depending on your arrival time, you may take a guided city tour, including the powerful Kigali Genocide Memorial — a sobering yet essential place that reveals Rwanda’s transformation from tragedy to triumph. The evening offers a delicious welcome dinner, possibly with a view over the glowing city lights, setting the tone for your emotional and rewarding week ahead.

Overnight: Hotel des Mille Collines / Heaven Boutique Hotel / Kigali Serena Hotel

Day 2: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park – Into Gorilla Country

After breakfast, you head north to the mist-shrouded slopes of Volcanoes National Park, the gateway to Rwanda’s mountain gorillas. The journey is scenic and soul-stirring — winding roads through banana plantations, terraced hills, and smiling children waving from villages along the way.

You’ll arrive at your lodge near the park in time for lunch and have the afternoon at leisure to relax, soak in the mountain air, or take a walk through nearby communities to get a sense of life in the highlands. This night, you sleep at the foot of towering volcanoes — anticipation for tomorrow’s gorilla trek quietly building.

Overnight: Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel / Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge / Mountain Gorilla View Lodge

Day 3: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park – Face to Face with the Wild

The day begins early with excitement humming through the air. After a briefing at the park headquarters, you’re assigned a gorilla family to track and guided into the forest by expert rangers. The trek can last between 1 to 5 hours depending on where the gorillas nested the previous night — but every moment is part of the experience: the crunch of leaves underfoot, the mist weaving through the canopy, the distant calls of wildlife.

And then you see them.

A silverback emerges first, massive and majestic, calmly watching you with knowing eyes. Around him, juveniles tumble and play, mothers cradle infants — all in an unbroken rhythm of life. For one hour, you are part of their world. It’s humbling, powerful, and emotional in a way no words can fully capture.

After the trek, you return to your lodge, hearts full and forever changed.

Overnight: Same as previous night.

Day 4: Cross into Uganda – Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Today you bid farewell to Rwanda and cross the border into Uganda, entering the mystical Bwindi Impenetrable National Park — home to roughly half the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. The drive is scenic, with undulating hills giving way to deep valleys cloaked in thick rainforest.

Depending on your lodge location and your energy levels, you may arrive in time to visit a Batwa pygmy community. These indigenous forest dwellers once lived in harmony with the gorillas and now share their rich traditions through storytelling, music, and dance.

Tonight, you rest in the depths of one of Africa’s most ancient forests, surrounded by a chorus of insects and the whispering leaves of Bwindi.

Overnight: Buhoma Lodge / Mahogany Springs / Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge

Day 5: Second Gorilla Trekking Experience – Different Gorillas, New Emotions

While one gorilla trek is life-changing, a second trek offers a different dimension. Today, you head into another section of Bwindi, perhaps tracking a different gorilla family with new behaviors and dynamics. Every encounter is unique. You may witness playful babies swinging from vines or a silverback asserting his dominance with a gentle thump to the chest.

The diversity of Uganda’s gorilla habitats and family groups means each moment is fresh, and the bond you feel with these primates only deepens. You’ll leave with a greater appreciation for the resilience of both gorillas and the people who work tirelessly to protect them.

After returning to your lodge, the rest of the day is for relaxing — perhaps enjoying a glass of wine on your veranda as clouds settle over the forest canopy.

Overnight: Same as previous night.

Day 6: Lake Bunyonyi Retreat – Peaceful Waters After the Wild

After days in the forest, it’s time for rest and reflection. You drive to Lake Bunyonyi, often called the “Switzerland of Africa” due to its terraced hills and serene waters. The lake, dotted with over 20 lush islands, is bilharzia-free and safe for swimming — a rarity in Africa.

The day is yours to enjoy: paddle in a dugout canoe, take a nature walk, visit local island communities, or simply sit and absorb the peaceful energy of this untouched gem. It’s the perfect contrast to the intensity of gorilla trekking — soft, calming, and restorative.

Overnight: Birdnest Resort / Arcadia Lodge Bunyonyi

Day 7: Return to Kigali for Departure – A Farewell Through the Hills

After breakfast, you begin your drive back to Kigali, taking with you more than photographs. You leave with stories — of silverbacks and smiling villagers, of misty forests and lakeside sunsets, of the soul-awakening presence of gorillas.

Depending on your flight time, you may stop for lunch in Kigali or visit local markets to pick up handmade crafts. Then it’s onward to the airport, hearts full and ready to carry the spirit of this journey into the rest of your life.